Santa Barbara Dermatology

Looking great and feeling great is heavenly! The weather in Santa Barbara is conducive to outdoor living and that means sun, beach, hiking, and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Sun and fresh air are beneficial and necessary, and there is a price to pay for over-exposure though sun burns and the toxic effects of sun screen. That is often when a dermatologist is sought out for a skin issue; and most of the time the ‘problem’ is cut, burned, or frozen off. This can be great aesthetically, yet the reason the skin issue appeared in the first place, still exists. There is rarely attention paid to the cause of the dermatological issue. Let’s prevent more of the same skin condition from appearing again (or worse yet, causing other bodily problems). Disease starts from within. You wouldn’t stick a band-aid over your ‘check engine light’ would you? You are more important than any vehicle! All my protocols treat both sides of the coin; inner cause and outer expression.

Scar Removal

The outdoor life and abundant natural light in Santa Barbara makes scars more identifiable. Scars are organically reduced or removed by acupuncture, microcurrent, and suction therapy. I have had great success with C-section scars, surgical incisions, plastic surgery scars; even decades-old scars have been successfully reduced. A 70 year old woman came to me with pain all around her hysterectomy scar from 42 years ago, and after the first treatment, the pain, numbness, and tingling were significantly reduced. Subsequent treatments removed all abnormal sensations; and she has had no pain since the treatments. The red scar turned into pink, and eventually became unnoticeable. The scar was reduced in size, and its hardness became softness.

Plastic Surgery Scars

Santa Barbara is home to amazing plastic surgery centers and the people who can afford them. Plastic surgery scars can be reduced and healed much more quickly and evenly, leaving a much less noticeable scar for the patient. Scars are treated immediately after surgery in the area surrounding the incision. Once the wound heals, the new scar is easily treated directly and the patient notices a reduction in size, color, and irregular sensations of numbness, tingling, and itchiness. The 2 sides of the nose, eyes, or face are evened out by treating each side in the endeavor to gain symmetry; an immense measure of beauty in our world.

Acne

The beautiful Santa Barbara sunshine can either exacerbate acne if you over-do it, or heal it if you get just the right amount of vitamn-D-laced sunlight. Don’t let it fool you; acne is an inside job. Many times a hormonal imbalance is the culprit. This hormonal imbalance can be caused by puberty, pregnancy, birth control, or menopause. If we just scrape and rip layers of skin off in the form of micro-dermabrasion, dermaplaning, laser etc, the dermal layers are irritated and acne actually increases in severity. I have seen this in my practice especially with those who have access to frequent use of these damaging treatments. Truly I have found that women who work at medi-spas and aesthetic spas have unrelenting cystic acne. I use a whole-body holistic approach; internal and topical. Acupuncture, microcurrent, suction, and more, are employed to balance and rectify the underlying problem. This is accomplished without pain, and no damage to the layers of skin. There are numerous other reasons that we suffer from acne, and my protocol will rectify the cause and the effect of all of them. Chinese medicine has protocols for almost every known affliction. Along with hormones, excess heat in the body and excess dampness are the main culprits, and they can be balanced using acupuncture needles to ultimately eliminate the acne.

Eczema and Psoriasis

The mild weather in Santa Barbara exposes our eczema and psoriasis as it is a challenge to wear lots of clothing. Eczema, and any skin rash for that matter, are absolutely indicative of what is brewing beneath the surface. Often the body is harboring too much dampness, and it is giving you clues through skin expression. There are many protocols utilized for eczema; many are tied closely to digestion, gut health, and heat trapped in the body. Interior and exterior treatments are always employed. Rashes always have a story to tell. My job is to decode the story.

Cellulite

Santa Barbara beaches make it easy to notice things like cellulite. Cellulite is greatly reduced and transformed by my protocol including acupuncture, microcurrent, electro-stimulation, and especially ‘vacuum suction cupping’. What truly happens to cause the look we call ‘cellulite’, is that tendons get tight and the fat is squeezed between the tight tendons, making it look like cottage cheese. Some of us may have tendencies toward cellulite from our genetics, but all of us will benefit from the cellulite protocol I have assembled. The tiny tendons must be freed from their tight holding patterns, and only then will they lessen their grip on the fat and allow it to sit (and reflect light) properly once again. I have seen professional athletes in their 20’s with cellulite because if these tight micro tendons. They need to be freed and the problem erases itself.

Bell’s Palsy

Bell’s Palsy is a neurological disorder that manifests as a paralysis of the face, usually on one side. This condition is often a shock, as it comes on overnight. While the condition comes on suddenly, Bell’s Palsy is a temporary affliction, and it usually passes or can even get better on its own in several weeks or several months. Acupuncture treatments, are incredibly effective in cases of Bell’s Palsy. Acupuncture, with microcurrent alleviate the symptoms of Bell’s Palsy and expedite the return of normal muscle tone and action. It is recommended at least twice per week, to help soothe the patient, expedite the return of muscle tone, enhance nerve function, and most imperative; to protect the eyes from dryness.